I’ve made several Asian dishes on this blog, but until now I hadn’t prepared my personal favorite: General Tso’s Chicken. I love it—so much that I decided to recreate the flavors I miss from our favorite takeout spot, Wok ’n Roll, back when we lived in LaPorte, Indiana. After moving east, we truly missed that style of Chinese food, so I researched recipes and built my own version that hits the balance of heat, sweet, tart, and bright orange notes that I prefer.

Once you have all the prep done—cutting the chicken, mixing the sauce, and measuring ingredients—the cooking moves quickly. It does take some time to prepare, but the techniques are simple. Start early, organize your mise en place, and the rest falls into place.

Here the chicken is cut into bite-sized pieces and marinating briefly in fresh orange juice, garlic salt, and pepper. The sauce is whisked together and the remaining ingredients are ready to assemble.

Start by dredging the chicken pieces thoroughly in cornstarch so they develop a crisp exterior when fried.

After the cornstarch, dredge in flour. You can double-coat if you like an extra-thick crust, but a single flour coating gives a light, crisp crust that remains tender inside.

If the coating still looks translucent, dredge again to ensure a solid, even crust.

Heat a large pan with several cups of oil until hot. Fry the chicken in small batches so pieces don’t touch and the oil temperature remains steady. Drain on paper towels or a cooling rack set over a baking sheet.

From 1 1/2 pounds of chicken breasts you’ll get plenty: roughly four servings. The coating should be light and crisp while the interior remains juicy. Pieces cook quickly—about 3–4 minutes depending on size—so don’t overcook.

When all the chicken is fried, heat a wok or large frying pan with 2–3 tablespoons of oil and sauté the aromatics: grated ginger, minced garlic, chopped white parts of the green onions, and dried red chilies until fragrant. Be careful not to burn the garlic; this step takes less than a minute.

Stir in the prepared sauce—give it a quick stir before adding so any settled cornstarch is reincorporated—then bring it to a boil. The sauce will thicken quickly; once it does, add the fried chicken and the green parts of the onions, tossing gently until everything is evenly coated.

Serve immediately over hot cooked rice. I usually prepare the rice first and keep it warm; if it cools, a quick zap in the microwave refreshes it. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and snipped green onion for color and extra flavor.

This version delivered exactly what I wanted: spicy, sweet, slightly tangy, and bright with a hint of orange. It’s restaurant-quality and something I’d confidently serve to guests. If you love General Tso’s, make this at home with fresh ingredients and no MSG. Adjust the heat by using fewer or more dried chilies. For a complete meal, serve with oven-roasted broccoli tossed with a bit of sesame oil and soy sauce.

Hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do! Take care all, and have a wonderful day! ~Kelly

Yield: 4 servings

Authentic General Tso’s Chicken with Green Onions & Dried Red Chili Peppers

Ingredients

For Chicken:

• 1 1/2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1″ pieces
• 1 tsp. fresh-squeezed orange juice
• 1/16 tsp. garlic salt
• 1/2 tsp. coarse ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup cornstarch
• 1/3 cup flour (more if double-coating)

For Stir Fry:

• 2–3 Tbsp. canola oil
• 1/2 Tbsp. finely minced or grated fresh ginger
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• 6–8 small dried red chili peppers, halved (include seeds for more heat)
• 3–4 green onions: white part finely chopped (about 1 Tbsp.), green part cut into 1″ pieces

For Sauce:

• 2–3 Tbsp. soy sauce (use low-sodium if preferred)
• 1 Tbsp. oyster sauce (optional)
• 2 1/2 Tbsp. rice vinegar
• 1–2 Tbsp. hoisin sauce
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 Tbsp. + 1/2 tsp. sugar
• 1 Tbsp. dark brown sugar
• 1/2 Tbsp. fresh-squeezed orange juice
• 1 Tbsp. cornstarch

Garnish:

• 1 tsp. toasted sesame seeds
• 1 Tbsp. chopped green onion (green part only)

Instructions

1. Marinate the chicken in orange juice, garlic salt, and pepper for 15 minutes, tossing to distribute the marinade.
2. While the chicken marinates, whisk together all sauce ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside.
3. Dredge the chicken thoroughly in 1/3 cup cornstarch.
4. Coat the cornstarched chicken with flour once, or twice for a double coating. Heat 6–7 cups oil in a deep frying pan. Fry the chicken in small batches until golden and cooked through (about 3–4 minutes per batch). Drain on a paper towel–lined rack.
5. Heat 2–3 Tbsp. oil in a wok or large frying pan. Add ginger, garlic, dried red chilies, and the white part of the green onions. Stir-fry briefly until fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute—don’t burn the garlic.
6. Give the sauce a quick stir, add it to the wok, and cook until it comes to a boil and thickens.
7. Add the fried chicken and the green parts of the onions, tossing to coat evenly with the sauce.
8. Serve immediately over hot rice and garnish with toasted sesame seeds and snipped green onion.
9. Note: Dried red chilies are hot—slice small slivers into each bite rather than eating whole peppers unless you enjoy intense heat.

Notes

Oyster sauce is optional; the recipe is delicious without it. I prefer Kikkoman hoisin based on experience with other brands. If you like extra sauce for the rice, consider doubling the sauce quantities.